A Fable for Critics

"A Fable for Critics" by James Russell Lowell is a witty, satirical poem from the 1800's that humorously looks at American poets and writers. The story uses a fable to point out both good and bad qualities of those writers. Apollo, the Greek god of poetry, is in the poem and feels annoyed as he thinks about how hard it is to be creative with the literary world. As Apollo thinks about the issues, he meets characters that highlight different sides of literature. The poem opens in a lighthearted way that makes it an amusing assessment of writers and their work, so readers start thinking about literature in general because of the mix of humor and thoughtful criticism.